ἐκπίπτω G1601
Fall out, drop off; run aground (nautical); fall away from grace; fail, become void
A compound of ek ('out of') and pipto ('to fall'), this verb traces a vivid arc from the literal to the theological. Luke uses it four times in Acts 27 for the terrifying prospect of a ship running aground on the rocks of Malta, while in Acts 12:7 Peter's chains simply fall off his hands at the angel's touch. James borrows the image of a flower dropping its petals to illustrate the fading of earthly wealth (Jas 1:11; cf. 1 Pet 1:24). Paul gives it its sharpest theological edge in Galatians 5:4: those who seek justification by law 'have fallen away from grace.' Spanish 'caer' and French 'dechoir' capture both the physical drop and the spiritual descent, while German 'abfallen' emphasizes the separation involved in falling away.
Senses
1. run aground, drift off course (nautical) — To run aground or be driven off course in a nautical context, used exclusively in Luke's gripping account of Paul's shipwreck voyage to Rome. The sailors fear they will run aground on the Syrtis sandbars (Acts 27:17), Paul prophesies they must run aground on some island (27:26), and they take soundings fearing they might be cast upon rocks (27:29). The soldiers cut away the lifeboat lest it drift away as well (27:32). Spanish 'caer' and French 'dechoir' both preserve the sense of an uncontrolled, forced descent toward land or reef. 4×
AR["أَنْ-نَجْنَحَ", "نَقَعَ", "يَسْقُطُ", "يَقَعُوا"]·ben["পড়ি", "পড়িতে"]·DE["ἐκπέσωμεν", "ἐκπέσωσιν", "ἐκπεσεῖν"]·EN["fall-away", "they-should-fall", "to-run-aground", "we-should-run-aground"]·FR["déchoir"]·heb["יִפְּלוּ", "לִנְפֹּל", "נִפֹּל"]·HI["गिरजाएँ", "गिरना।", "गिरने।"]·ID["jatuh,", "jatuh.", "terdampar,", "terdampar."]·IT["cadere"]·jav["dhawah.", "kandas,", "kandas.", "kandasaken,"]·KO["떨어지기를", "떨어지도록"]·PT["cair.", "caíssem,", "caíssemos,", "dar-à-costa."]·RU["выбросимся", "выброситься", "упасть"]·ES["caer", "cayeran", "cayéramos", "encallar"]·SW["ianguke", "tukatupwa", "tutupwe", "waanguke"]·TR["düşelim", "düşmemiz", "düşmeye", "düşsünler"]·urd["گر-جائیں", "گرنا-ہے", "گرنے", "گریں"]
2. fall off (physical) — To fall off or drop away physically, describing something detaching from where it was fastened or growing. In Acts 12:7 the chains fall off Peter's hands at the angel's command, a sudden, miraculous release. James 1:11 and 1 Peter 1:24 both quote Isaiah 40:7-8, likening the rich or all flesh to grass whose flower 'falls off' under the scorching wind. Spanish 'caer' and German 'abfallen' capture the simple gravitational drop of something that was once attached. 3×
AR["سَقَطَ", "سَقَطَتْ"]·ben["খসে-পড়ল", "ঝরে-পড়ল"]·DE["abfallen", "ἐξέπεσαν"]·EN["fell", "fell-off"]·FR["abfallen", "déchoir"]·heb["נָפְלוּ", "נָפַל"]·HI["गिरीं", "झड़-गया", "झड़-जाता-है"]·ID["gugur", "jatuh", "rontok,"]·IT["cadere", "exepesen"]·jav["dhawah", "dhawah,"]·KO["떨어졌다", "떨어졌다,", "떨어졌으나"]·PT["caiu", "caiu,"]·RU["опал,", "упали"]·ES["cayeron", "cayó"]·SW["lilidondoka", "zikaanguka"]·TR["düştü"]·urd["جھڑ-گیا،", "جھڑ-گیا٬", "گرے"]
3. fall away (spiritual/moral) — To fall away from a spiritual state, specifically from divine grace or from one's secure standing in the faith. Paul warns the Galatians, 'You have fallen away from grace' (Gal 5:4), meaning they have departed from the sphere of grace by turning to law-keeping for justification. Second Peter 3:17 urges believers not to 'fall from your own steadfastness' by being carried away with lawless error. German 'abfallen' and French 'dechoir' both convey the gravity of losing a privileged spiritual position through one's own misdirection. 2×
AR["تَسقُطوا", "سَقَطتُم"]·ben["পড়ে-যাও", "পতিত-হয়েছিলে।"]·DE["abfallen"]·EN["you-fall", "you-fell"]·FR["abfallen"]·heb["נָפַלְתֶּם", "תִּפְּלוּ"]·HI["गिर-न-पड़ो", "से-गिर-गये."]·ID["kamu-jatuh", "kamu-jatuh-dari"]·IT["ekpesēte", "exepesate"]·jav["panjenengan-sami-sampun-dhawah.", "panjenengan-sedaya-dhawah"]·KO["떨어졌노라.", "떨어지라"]·PT["caiais", "caístes"]·RU["отпали"]·ES["caigáis", "caísteis"]·SW["mmeanguka", "muanguke"]·TR["düşmeyin", "düştünüz"]·urd["گر-پڑو", "گِر-گئے"]
4. fail, become void — To fail or become void, said of a divine word or promise that does not lose its power. In Romans 9:6 Paul insists, 'It is not as though the word of God has failed,' defending God's faithfulness despite Israel's unbelief. Spanish 'ha caido' ('has fallen') preserves the root metaphor of something dropping or collapsing, here applied to the reliability of a promise: God's word does not fall to the ground unfulfilled. 1×
AR["سَقَطَتْ"]·ben["ব্যর্থ-হয়েছে"]·DE["abfallen"]·EN["has-failed"]·FR["déchoir"]·heb["נָפַל"]·HI["विफल-हुआ-है"]·ID["telah-gagal"]·IT["cadere"]·jav["sampun-dhawah"]·KO["떨어졌다는"]·PT["caiu"]·RU["отпало"]·ES["ha-caído"]·SW["limeanguka"]·TR["düştü"]·urd["ناکام-ہوا"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐκπίπτω, future -πεσοῦμαι: aorist ἐξέπεσον: perfect ἐκπέπτωκα:— fall out of, δίφρου Refs 8th c.BC+; θαλερὸν δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε δάκρυ fell from his eyes, Refsfall out, Refs; fall down, of trees, Refs 4th c.BC+meteors, Refs 8th c.BC+passive of ἐκβάλλω: __1 of seafaring men, to be cast ashore, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔπεσον θυμηγερέων Refs 8th c.BC+; ναυαγὸν ἐ.Refs 5th c.BC+; of things, suffer shipwreck, Refs 5th c.BC+; of…